What's Happening

October 21, 2024, Adrian, Michigan – Many people and organizations publish and sell calendars to help people keep track of the tasks and events of each day. Sister Maryetta Churches, OP, has for the past five years created calendars that help people make the most of each day through prayer and reflection.

“We all have different ways of praying,” Sister Maryetta said. “I journal every day, and each day I do something different – whatever helps me to enhance my prayer, my listening to God.” She often enhances her reflections with artwork, using creative tools such as clay, markers, or yarn. Her calendars are based on selected artwork from the previous year. 

Sister Maryetta used her creativity during her 25 years of ministry at St. Mary Magdalen Parish in Brighton, Michigan, teaching groups to pray with art and creating All Souls Day posters depicting the parishioners who had died the previous year. When she left that ministry in 2020 – amid the COVID-19 pandemic – and returned to Adrian, she created a calendar based on her artwork as a way to help the parishioners remember her. Now, her calendars are available to a wider audience. 

This year, Sister Maryetta said, she decided to make a change as she created the 2025 calendar. “I wanted to go deeper,” she said. “I wanted to go deeper into my own life, so the questions I asked myself I share with you.” She included reflection questions on the back page of the calendar, numbered to correspond to the relevant month.

Sister Maryetta hopes that people who buy her calendar will use it to help them deepen their prayer lives and their relationship with God. “I invite you to pray with the artwork for each month,” she said. Contemplating the artwork and how it speaks to you can be another prompt for your prayer. What is the artwork telling you, and can you speak to God about it?” She believes the calendar could also be a useful tool for parishes.

Noting that each day of the year is a gift from God, Sister Maryetta said, “My hope is that this calendar can help you to appreciate that gift and claim it for yourself, and that it can help you to deepen your prayer life.”

The 2025 calendar sells for $15 and is available through the Weber Shop at the Weber Retreat and Conference Center. Visit or call the shop at 517-266-4035 to reserve a copy for yourself or purchase in bulk. 
 

Caption for above feature photo: Sister Maryetta Churches, OP, finds many outlets for her creativity. Along with her artwork and her creation of calendars, she enjoys knitting prayer shawls.

By Sister Nancyann Turner, OP, and Rosa Parks Staff

October 18, 2024, Detroit – The Rosa Parks Children and Youth Program at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen celebrated its 25th anniversary with a reunion in late September. Sister Nancyann Turner, OP, creator of the program, was the guest of honor.

The Rosa Parks Children and Youth Program aims to stretch the minds of young people in Detroit, stimulating their creativity to help them find alternatives to violence. Activities include after-school tutoring, art therapy, a lending library, seasonal family activities, youth leadership development, and three-week summer peace camps.
 
Former employees, volunteers, families, and participants attended the celebration. Many former participants, now in their 20s and 30s, brought their own children.

In her opening remarks, Sister Nancyann thanked the many people gathered for all that they had taught her about life and the many ways the children and families blessed her. Guests were invited to reflect on their experiences in the program and shared the highlights of their time with the Rosa Parks Children and Youth Program. They spoke of their appreciation for how the program made them feel safe or how they enjoyed the art projects. “The garden program was my favorite,” one participant said. “People are surprised when I can point out a certain plant or talk about the Earth.”

The alumni also shared many stories about how the program made them better people. “I learned about myself and God and values during our yearly retreats, field trips, and Leadership Camp,” one participant said. “The Girls Support Group made a big impact on me during my teens,” another recalled.

Many families commented that the core foundation of the program was peace and respect. They all remembered being blessed with a greeting of peace from Sister Nancyann each evening as they left for home. 

Numerous former and current participants remembered that with the support of the staff and the community with other participants, the program really “felt like a family.” As one mother remarked, “It wasn’t just a program but a beloved community; these were sacred rooms and endeavors.”

Over the years, several Adrian Dominican Sisters volunteered their services in the tutoring and art therapy programs. Others helped with special events like Easter egg decorating and Peace Camp projects. Mission Groups – made up of Adrian Dominican Sisters and lay Associates – often contributed school supplies and Christmas gifts for the mothers.

Sister Nancyann still volunteers one day a week, doing therapy with the children. It is the hope of many that the program will continue for at least another 25 years.

 

Caption for above feature photo: Sister Nancyann Turner, OP, works on fall crafts with a young participant in the Rosa Parks Children and Youth Program at the Capuchin Soup Kitchen in Detroit.
Adrian Dominican Sisters file photo